Discarded
by SpaceRoses
Summary: It lay discarded in a corner of the Central Library, waiting for it's owner to return. [Short story focusing on Ed's red jacket which disappeared mid show. Also features Havoc and Fuery briefly. No slash]


**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Author's Note: **This is set after the movie and just before my long story "Once more Unto the Breach". There are some slight spoilers for people who haven't seen the whole show and it's a tiny bit AU if you squint really hard and have every scene of the show memorized. Please Read and Review if you wish, Flames will be ignored. Thanks!

**Discarded**

It lay, discarded, in a corner of the library. Several years' worth of dust and cobwebs lay over it, turning its brilliant red color into a sickly grayish pink. Still it sat as if it was waiting for its owner to return for it, to feel a chill breeze some night and realize he had left his companion behind.

It had never been meant to end up like this, lying on the floor of this building where it had been so many times before. It had never been forgotten before either. There had been many times when the heat in the library had grown heavy and it had been laid aside across the back of a chair or on a floor but it had always been picked back up. If not by the owner then by the other one who followed him around, the metal one.

But this time it had been left. During a long night of work it had been thrown on the floor, landing in a heap, and it had never been picked back up. On the way down to find more books it had been left and it had never been retrieved.

The librarians had never seen it for it had gotten pushed behind a shelf, sandwiched between the wood and the plaster. If they had they would have picked it up immediately, knowing who it belonged too and they would have returned it as soon as he came back to the library. But that never happened. Instead it waited, knowing that someday the boy with the yellow braid would come back.

8888

The sound of falling books shattered the scared silence of the library and earned the two military officers a dirty look from the young librarian with the thick glasses. The younger of the pair adjusted his thick glasses and blushed slightly while the older man offered an apologetic and slightly charming grin, his grin fading when the young lady rolled her eyes.

Sighing, he bent down and started to gather up the books, frowning as he noticed that one had fallen almost behind the shelf. He wasn't sure how he had managed that trick but he had. Picking it up he handed it to the other officer and frowned, noticing for the first time something else behind the shelf.

Reaching out he pulled out the cloth bundle, frowning again, this time in recognition.

Standing erect he slowly shook it out to avoid sending out a dust storm but the flying dirt particles still made the younger man cough quietly.

He held the item out at arm's length, "What the hell? That's…that's…." He faltered, staring at the old red jacket with a mix of surprise and confusion on his face.

"That's Full Metal's jacket." The younger man stated in light awe as he removed his glasses to wipe the dust motes off on his sleeve.

"Yeah….wonder when Ed lost it. He and his brother haven't been heard from in almost two years…." The older man trailed off, one hand reaching down reflexively towards his pant's pockets where he kept his cigarettes, only pulling his hand back when he remembered he was in the library.

"Come to think of it….I haven't seen this jacket since the last time we saw him in the East, when he had his evaluation and he fought the Colonel." The younger man replaced his glasses and blinked.

"He must've lost it the last time he was here….wasn't that to look for some notes or something?" The older man questioned as he refolded the jacket gently over his arm.

The other man nodded, "Right before that lab suddenly appeared and Brigadier General Hughes died." His voice trailed off reflectively.

"I figure Ed has some family left, or friends, who'd like this jacket. I'll bet the Colonel would know who those people are. Come on Fuery, let's pay him a visit."

Fuery nodded, "That'd be a good idea Lieutenant Havoc." Turning, he followed the older man out of the library.

And the jacket that had been discarded just before a boy made his sudden crashing descent into manhood knew that it was discarded no more.

Fin.

**Author's Note 2: **Before anyone points it out I know that Ed was seen wearing his jacket in the end of episode 25 but I just felt that it would be more symbolic if he had left it behind in the library just before Lab 5. It's also interesting to note that after episode 25 or 26 you never see his jacket again. It vanishes. I just thought it might be more interesting if he had left it in the library rather then in some motel room in Rush Valley or something. Thanks for reading and please remember to Review! They feed starving fanfic authors!


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